The Student and the Street Rat
by Laurenemily1807
Summary: Tori is a homeless girl stealing to make ends meet. Beck is a privileged high school student attending the prestigious performing arts school Hollywood arts. what happens when the two meet and their worlds collide?
1. Chapter 1

Becks POV

Living in a caravan has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantage- my roof my rules. Disadvantage- no air conditioning. And yeh I know that doesn't seem like a very big price to pay for ones freedom but living in LA during summer in a caravan is like waking up every morning in an oven.

This is how I wake most mornings, but there just seemed to be something different today. Sure I was waking up in the same sweat drenched sheets that I always do and sure I don't think there is anything on today that would make it special at all. But I don't know. There is just something different about it.

I roll out of bed and head to my tiny little bathroom. I look the same as always, shaggy shoulder length brown hair, olive tanned skin, brown eyes. Nope, nothing different there. Having had no luck on what it is I just can't put my finger on, I decide to have a shower and wash away the sweat from an uncomfortably humid night.

Maybe there is a performance on at school today, I think to myself as the hot water cascades over my shoulders, relaxing any tension I had in my muscles. That's probably it.

I go to a high school called Hollywood arts. It's a school for the gifted. Singing, dancing, acting, you name it, if it's a performance art, we've got it. Going to that school is how I met my girlfriend jade and my bestfriends Robbie, Cat and Andre. Jade and Cat are both amazing actresses and singers, so is André but he also writes his own songs. And as for Robbie, he acts and sings at an average level, but its ventriloquism skills are really something to see. He carries his dummy rex everywhere. Most people think it's weird, but to us it's just Robbie.

I'm thinking about my friends as I finish up my shower and get dressed for school. They are a truly amazing bunch of people and we are all so different yet get along so well. That is except for Jade, she doesn't really get along with anyone but me. Most people she just tolerates. But to me that's all just part of her charm.

I Grab my phone, my wallet and my keys and head out the door. I'm getting to school early today for my job at the asphalt café. I work there a couple times a week sometimes before school, sometimes during lunch break.

It's not like I have to work or anything. Except for the few scholarship kids at Hollywood arts, everyone here is really a trust fund kid. I just choose to work cause im really big on having my won freedom to do whatever I want and I think having a job is one step closer to that. Plus there is always the added bonus of free coffee.

Work goes off without any at all excitement and before I know it classes have started and Sikowitz is climbing in through the window.

"Beck…..Beck?!"

You know I always wondered why he came in the window instead of the door. I mean wouldn't it be easier to come in the same way as everyone else?

"BECK!"

I was completely lost in my thoughts when I get a quick smack on the back of my head.

"ow! What?!" I exclaim as I turn around to see who had hit me. I mean geese they could have waved their hand in front of my face or tapped me on the shoulder before resorting to violence to get my attention.

"Why were you ignoring me? I was trying to ask if you wanted to get together later but clearly you have more important things on your mind!" jade stormed at me as she crossed her arms and legs looking well and truly pissed at my lack of attention.

of course it was jade who hit me. Who else would have been so rude? I mean seriously, we have been together for years and I obviously love the girl but come one, there are better ways then going straight to brutality.

"Sorry I'm just having a weird morning. How bout I take you out for dinner later to make it up to you?" I offer in a half assed attempt to calm her down. "we can go anywhere you want".

Looking at jade at that moment I wasn't sure it was going to work. I mean seriously if looks could kill I would be a pile of dust right now. But that's not saying much. Scowling is really jades happy face. And today luck was in my favour.

"Fine. But don't ever ignore me again." Jade huffed as she got up and walked towards the stage to act out some scene Sikowitz had been talking about.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Nothing at all exciting happened. No lunch time performance, it wasn't anyone birthday. Even cat hadn't done anything really weird today. But yet I still couldn't shake that feeling like something had changed. Or at least it was about to.

I got ready for my date with jade in a haze. I put on my favourite pair of ripped jeans, and my combat boots that I usually left untied as well as singlet and an unbuttoned flano. Nothing fancy, but hey this was me. Jade was meeting me at our usual sushi place so I didn't have to worry about picking her up or anything so I decided to just get in the car an go, it wouldn't matter if I was 10 minutes early, I mean its better than being late and having to listen to jade bitch at me all night about it. God she could be a lot of work sometimes.

I was driving to the restaurant when I got a text from jade

**_*hey babe, not coming. Texas chainsaw massacre is on and I need cheering up. Bye*_**

That's it? Im second best to a movie she has seen like a million times?! I couldn't believe she was doing this to me. Here I was making the effort to spend time together and she blows me off with some stupid excuse again.

I chucked an illegal u turn and sped back towards my house. If she didn't want to see me then that was just fine, I had better things to do anyway. I was just gonna grab my motorbike and head out of town for a long ride to clear my head. Being this angry wasn't doing anyone any favours.

I didn't realise just how right I was. I had just rounded the corner onto my street, going a little faster then was necessary when out of nowhere I see this mane of brown hair flash in the corner of my eye and next thing you know this girl has ran out in front of me and stop in the middle of the road.

I'll never forget the look of terror in her eyes as she pivots to face me .I hear the tyres lock up as I slam on the breaks but I can't look away from the big brown eyes as I pray to god that I'll stop in time.


	2. Chapter 2

Tori's POV

Every teenager in the world complains about their parents on a weekly bases. Everyone that is except me.

When I was 4 my parents were killed in a car crash. The coroner said it was quick and painless but it wasn't something I understood at the time. All I knew was that they were gone. My grandmother took my in after that and although she was a sweet, kind and loving woman she could barely afford to feed us both. So when she too passed away I was left with nothing but a pile of debt. I had to sell off the house to pay it off and after that there was nothing left to live on.

So that's how I found myself living on the streets, praying that maybe tomorrow will get better for me. Maybe tomorrow I'll get lucky. But wishes and prayers are wasted on me. Nothing is ever going to change. No one wants to help an orphaned teenage street rat.

Today started off just like every other day. I woke up freezing to death on a park bench and raided the nearest trash can for food. Yesterday was bin day in this part of LA so I guess I should consider myself lucky that the rubbish is reasonably fresh.

I try and take as much food as I can from any of the mansions around here that I manage to break into and take what I can pawn or sell but it's not easy. And what little money I do make off of my stolen goods go straight into school fees.

I can't stick around in one place for long otherwise the cops get shitty and either try to arrest me or force me to move somewhere else anyway. It's just easier to keep on the move and try to stay under their radar.

Today's a school day so I better find a creek or public shower somewhere to wash up a bit so I'm at least presentable. I go to a performing arts school in Hollywood called performing arts. And although it is an amazing school and I've really learnt a lot there, it is really expensive to go to. But it's all I have.

I get up off the bench and grab my bag containing my few belongings and what little food I have left and head towards the public bathrooms they have at the truck stop a few blocks from where I spent the night. I prefer truck stop bathrooms than any other because truckers tend to be messy and they leave a lot of half eaten food lying around. So at least I might get a decent feed today.

In the shower stall I look through my bag. Crap. Practically empty. Only one set of clean clothes. No edible food. And nothing I can trade that is of any actual value. Looks like I'm going to have to go on a raid tonight.

When I raid houses I make sure that I only ever target the extremely wealthy. This is for a couple reasons. The first being that I know what it's like to struggle, so I'm definitely not going to steal from the poor and risk putting them in the same kind of situation I'm in myself. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. The second being that the more you have then the less you tend to notice when little things go missing. Money, jewellery, food. It's nothing really to them. They tend to assume they've misplaced it so they go out and by more meaningless crap to replace the meaningless crap they can't find. It's a vicious circle.

I think about all these things as I take the first shower I've had in several days. I think about how my life used to be and how it's turned out now. I think about how lucky the kids I go to school are and wish I could be normal like them. But most of all I think about beck. The cute coffee guy.

Beck Oliver is the most popular guy in school. All the ladies want him and all the guys want to be him. He's perfect. He's talented, he's gorgeous and from what I can tell, he's also a really genuine nice guy.

I can't help but smiling as I get out of the shower and get dressed as I think about him. But the smile is gone the second I remind myself that Oliver beck, same as everyone else on the planet, has no idea who I am or that I even really exist.

Leaving the truck stop, I head off towards school. It's a long walk that's going to take me at least an hour to get there, but I don't have any other choice. I can't afford the bus and I certainly can't afford a taxi. So my good old foot falcons are all I've got.

I always make sure I arrive at school o more than 10 minutes before the bell. That way by avoiding being too early or late I don't stand out. Living lifer under the radar is the only way I can survive.

I head open my locker and pretend to be busy putting my stuff away. Not that I have any but it gives me an excuse to be standing there. Why do I need an excuse you ask? Only because hot as hell beck's locker is within eye sight of mine ad he tends to hang out there before class. I know it sounds stalkerish that I do the same just to watch him, but hey, it's one of the few good things I have going in life.

He isn't at his locker this morning, so as I hear the warning bell alarm; I head off to class rather begrudgingly. Maybe he is sick? Hopefully he is just running late? It turns out neither is the case because there he is when I walk into class. Same seat as always.

My classes when by really quickly today. And before I knew it school was over and I'm being swept out the front gate with the majority of the students. Time to get my head in the game and prepare myself for what in know I need to do now.

Choosing a target and forming a plan is just the easy part. It's getting there and implementing it that always worries me. I stake out the mansion I've chosen. I see a middle age man exit and drive off in his BMW. After I'm satisfied the house is now empty I go for it.

I've been watching the house long enough to know that he hasn't got an alarm on the windows but he does o the doors. Windows are always my best bet. If nothing noticeable is taken then they just pass it off as vandalism. The downside to breaking in through a window is that they make a lot of noise to smash. This is going to have to be quick.

I grab a rock from his perfect garden and move around to the side of the house where I'm satisfied I'm hidden from street view. Taking a step back I hurl the rock. Shattering the glass.

Without missing a beat I clamour through the window and immediately start picking the room I'm in clean of anything I don't think he will notice. I finish with that room and I'm sure I've grabbed enough stuff to sell and live off for the next few weeks, so I quickly move on and locate the kitchen.

I push open the swinging door and step inside. But that's as far as I get. My progress is brought to an instant halt when I see movement out of the corner of my eye and a growl sound. Shit, he's got a dog. A big dog.

I find it best that in these situations to make a run for it. If I stay still then most likely the dog won't attack. But it also means I'm stuck here till the owners get home and then I'm really screwed. But on the other hand by running I pretty much ensure the dog goes after me but hey, at least I'm giving myself a shot.

In seconds I'm diving out the broken window, cutting my arm on the glass as I hit the ground and roll straight back onto my feet. Without looking back I just run at a flat out sprint for the road.

I dot hear anything land outside the window so I'm hopeful that the dog hasn't followed me out. But that's simply not a risk I'm willing to take. Being homeless and half starved means that I don't get the nutrients my body really needs to function properly so I am already feeling dizzy after just a few steps.

Running blindly out onto the road, I don't see the oncoming car until it's too late. I panic and freeze. Like a deer caught in the headlights. I vaguely hear the screech of tires as I think to myself "this is it Vega".


End file.
